Happy 70th Birthday, Rock Center Ice Rink!
AP:
Quote:
Rockefeller Center Ice Rink Turns 70
Associated Press 12.24.06, 6:20 PM ET
Happy 70th birthday, Rockefeller Center ice skating rink.
The rink, which sits next to the famous Christmas tree in midtown Manhattan, opened on Dec. 25, 1936, as the premiere artificial outdoor skating pond built in the city, operator Patina Restaurant Group said. It boasted amenities such as lights for nighttime skating, a heated changing room, piped-in music and a dining area.
Today, the rink is a popular tourist destination, surrounded by restaurants and featuring views of the golden Prometheus statue. It's a short walk from St. Patrick's Cathedral and the Saks (nyse: SKS - news - people ) Fifth Avenue department store.
The rink, which measures 122 feet long by 59 feet wide, will be open seven days a week until April. It opens each October for the winter skating season, handling up to 150 skaters at a time, more than 250,000 of them each year.
